COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado — An Uber driver who picked up the suspect in a Colorado Springs police shooting shortly before the attack tearfully pleaded for her car’s release from a police officer parking lot.
The driver, identified to be Carrie Ward, said she has been unable to work for nearly a month. The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office seized after the August 3 shooting of Officers Cem Duzel. Her gray sedan is more than just a means of transportation, she says. After all, she makes her money with her car. Therefore, it’s her livelihood, too.
After the hearing of the suspect, Karrar Noaman Al Khammasi, she said, “I’m without a means to support my children.” The suspect is an Iraqi refugee. The court charged him with attempted murder in the attack on Duzel, 30. The officer remains hospitalized in serious condition.
Should the Uber Driver Get Her Car Back After the Shooting?
Prosecutor Reggy Short petitioned the judge to order that Ward’s car be released from an evidence impound lot. He argued that authorities do not believe it bears significant evidence. A court-appointed attorney for al Khammasi, Jennifer Chu, objected, saying she doesn’t know if the car is significant to her client’s defense.
Short said in court that prosecutors filed their first request to release the car “two weeks ago.” Al Khammasi and 2 other friends got on Uber to get Ward to pick them up on the night that the shooting took place. The shooting took place nearby a short time later, and police took in her car as evidence.
Ward fears that her car was damaged in a recent hailstorm that has destroyed a number of vehicles across Colorado Springs. If the damage is significant, then Ward will have a lot of trouble making money going forward. Hopefully her car is still in good condition, and she’ll get her car back soon.